Improved means for raising sunken vessels



UNITED STATES PATENT :aaron OLIVER DROUILLARD, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVED MEANS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS.

Specification forming p: rt of Letters Patent No. 57,@@lL dated September 1l, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER DROUILLARD, of Detroit, in the county of I/Vayne, in the State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Mode of Lifting Sunken Vessels to the Surface; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in pro viding three lifting-camels constructed, arranged, and operating in combination, as hereinafter described, one to operate centrally between the other two and over the sunken vessel, and the other two to operate each laterally on the sides of the central camel, and over the sides ofthe sunken vessel, rst using the central camel to lift the sunken vessel from the bottom as high as it has power to do so, and then usingvthe lateral camels to lift it further as high as they have power, and thus successively alternating in the use of the central and lateral camels till the sunken vessel is lifted to the surface, or sufficiently high to enable me to bring it to port or other place of safety, which central camel is to be provided on each side with a bridle, through which I pass two lifting-chains that are held at any desired point by a chain-stop attached to each end of the bridle, whereby I cause said chains 4:fore and aft, force water out of the camel, prevent capsizing or dangerous listing over, cause the camels to rise or sink in the water, and thus vary and regulate the depth to which the camels are to be sunk, according to the nature of the work to be performed.

To enable others skilled in the art to` make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I construct three camels ofthe materials ordinarily used in building wooden vessels water-tight, and in the general form of oblong rectangular boxes, one of which I call the central camel,77 shown at A, Figure 1, in the accompanying drawings, and the other two I call the lateral camels77 (shown at A A in Figs. 2 and. 3 5 but I prefer and recommend the common form of a iiat bottom scow as more suitable and advantageous in management, and apply to each a valve, as shown at B, Fig. l, and more, if desired, for letting water into or out of the camels, also any well-known pump to empty the camels of water when desired; and to my central camel I apply a derrick, as shown at C, Fig. l, and to which I attach pulleys, for the purpose of handling the chains on that and on thelateral camels, and, if desired, a windlass, winch, capsta-n, or any other convenient means may be used for that purpose.

I construct my camels of such size and dimensions as will give them the necessary lifting power desired, according to the work to be performed; but make the lateral camels, for convenience in operating with them, about ten feet shorter than the central camel.

I construct and use on each camel, for the purpose of lifting the sunken vessel, two large lifting-chains, shown at D D', of suitable size, length, and strength, according to the work to be performed, which I pass through hawsepipes constructed on the central camel at each of its sides in or near the plank-sheer, as shown at E E', Fig. 1, and on the lateral camels in and leading through their decks, hulls, and bottoms, as shown at F F', Fig. 2, and I secure the ends of said chains when lifting the sunken vessel, and at other times when needed, at the tops of the haWse-pipes by stron g chain-stops, made of iron or other suitable material, as shown at Gr G', Figs. 1, 2, and 3, having sharp angular jaws, or any other form convenient, and adapted to their purpose, and so secured and fastened to the decks of the camels that they can be turned so as to catch and hold the lifting-chains at any desired point, or set the chains free, so that they can freely move up andv down, and be paid out through the hawsepipes, as may be desired, and said chains and chain-stops may be secured in any other conr mon and convenient mode. If desired, or found necessary, I also use other chains of any desired and suitable size, to assist in finding 2 l @RSSB the position of the sunken vessel, in handling the lifting-chains in the water, and in getting them under and around the bow and stern of the sunken vessel.

In operating with the lateral camels I can use more than two lifting-chains, and as many more as may be desired, according to the work to be performed, arranging, securing, and holding them in the manner above described. I locate the hawse-pipes on each of the camels at convenient distances from their bow and stern, those on the lateral camels in such places and passing down through their decks, hulls, and bottoms in such directions according to their build, as will keep them, when lifting, suiiiciently upright and from listing over injuriously or dangerously; and the hawsepipes onl the central camel I locate at a dis tance from each other equal to the length of my bridle next described. A

I construct and apply to my central camel a bridle, shown at H, Figs. 1, 4, and 5, of suitable size and strength, according to the work to be performed, which may be made from an iron bar or rod bent into the general form or' an oblong rectangle, and having its ends welded or otherwise iirmly fastened together, having suficient width of opening' to allow the lifting-chains easily to move up and down through it, and having any convenient length less than that of the sunken vessel, or it may be made ot any other suitable material and form adapted' to its purpose. On' the upper side ot' the bridle at each end, I securely fasten a chain-stop shown at G" G", Figs. 1, 4, and 5, of suitable material, size, and strength, according to the work to be performed, of the same form as the chain-stops G G', Figs. 1, 2, and 3, hereinbei'ore described, or of any other form convenient and adapted to their purpose, which I so construct and attach by any convenient means, that they will turn and fall down and rest upon the bridle, and there catch and hold at any desired point the lifting-chains passing through the bridle; or, it' desired, they may be raised up and turned so as to fall back and downward clear of the liftingchains, whenever it is desired to keep the chains clear of them, or desired to raise or lower them or the bridle.- I handle the bridle, and also the chain-stops attached to it, and can at will raise or lower them by any convenient means, such as a small lanyard, shown at'K K', Figs. l, 4, and 5, well secured at one end upon deck, and at the other irmly fastened in any convenient mode to one of the jaws of the chain-stops, and by thus raising or lowering the bridle I am able to cause the lifting-chains to lift against the bow and stern of the sunken vessel at any desired angle with the horizon, and thus greatly increase the grasping and holding power ot' the liftingchains.

I construct and apply to each of my camels at each end a rectangular water-tight air-box,

(shown at L L,) and turret open at top, (shown A at M MQ) which airboxes and turrets may be of any other convenient form, and of any convenient and desired dimensions adapted to their purposes and to the size and dimensions of the camels. rIhe larger they are the greater will be their power for their purposes. These air-boxes, if left free, will rise and fall in the hulls of the camels and in the turrets as the water in them rises and falls, but I handle and operate them by securing them to the timbers of the camels, and at the same time raising or depressing them at will by means ot' pulleys or screws, or any other convenient means, and for this purpose I construct the turrets sufficiently larger than the air-boxes to allow any needed chains or pulley-ropes to pass between them, or to allow any other needed and convenient fixtures for securing and raising or depressing them. g

My three camels,when constructed, arran ged, and provided as above described, will operate with far greater ease and certainty than by any other known mode to lift and bring to the surface any sunken vessel at any depth suffi cient to allow the central camel to pass over it.

Bymeans of my central'camel sunk with Wa ter as far as is practicable and prudent, having its lifting-chains secured upon deck, also held in my bridle and its chain-stops, and drawn tightly and firmly around and under the bow and stern of the sunken vessel, and

then by emptying it of its water, my camel lit'ts the sunken vessel to a certain hei ghtac cording to its lifting-power and the depth to which it is sunk. I then bring my lateral camels into operation. Accordingly, having ascertained the depth of the sunken vessel and that required for thelifting-chains of my lateral camels,and having secured them firmly at one end on deck, asabove described, I move my lateral camels one on each side of my 'central camel and over the sides of thesunken vessel, then pass their liftin g-chains under the hull of the sunken vessel, haul them taut, and by continued hauling keep them so, while I sink the camels with Water so far as practicable and prudent, and then secure themat their other ends by the chain-stops,fand in the manner above described,and thus by means of :my lateral camels hold thesunken vessel securely in its place, or by then emptyingthem of their water I lift it to a certain further height, laccording totheir lit'ting-powerand the depth to which they are sunk. ThusI go on repeating these operations, alternating, as above, -successively in the use of the central and ylateral camels till I bring the sunken vessel to .the surface, or to such a position that it can Ibe towed to port or other place of safety.

By means of my bridle and its chain-stops, constructed and arranged `as above described, I get with my lifting-chains a-tight and firm holdand grasp upon and around the vbow and stern of the sunken vessel, and, by lowering or raising the bridle, can make such hold and grasp more or less tight and rm as the size and build of the sunken vessel, the depth to which it is sunk or other varying circumstances may render expedient or necessary.

By means of my turrets and water-tight airboXes, constructed and arranged as above described, and by depressing the latter and opening the valves, I can, if desired, force Water through them out of the hulls of my camels, thereby raising the camels and, to a certain extent, regulating the depth to which I may wish to sink them before lifting the sunken vessel, and, keeping the valves closed, by securing the air-boxes, as above described, to the timbers of the hulls and depressing them in the water contained in the hulls or in the turrets, they will cause the camels to rise, or, by raising them out of the Water, Will cause the camels to sink deeper, thereby further regula-ting the depth to which I may wish to sink my camels before lifting the sunken vessel, and thereby also regulating the position of the keels of my camels fore and aft, preventing capsizing and dangerous listing over, and can sink the decks of my camels with safety far below the water-surface, so that, in case of a storm, I can secure the sunken vessel and my Work already performed by leaving the vessel suspended in the lifting-chains of my sunken central camel or lateral camels, as the case may be, and so at each operation with my central camel or lateral camels, as the case may be, lift the sunken vessel a greater distance, varying with the depth to which I sink my camels, than I could do Without the use of such turrets andair-boxes.

O, Fig. 1, shows a sunken vessel resting upon the ground and having thelifting-chains D D of the central camel passed around its bow and stern, in position for lifting it in the mode above described.

0', Fig. 3, shows a sunken vessel lifted by the lateral camels and resting upon their liftingchains, in the mode above described.

I disclaim the original invention of a camel for lifting sunken vessels to the surface; also of the air-boxes and of the turrets above described.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. lhe central camel, A, Fig. l, in combination with the lateral camels, Al A, Figs. 2 and 3, all constructed, arranged, and to operate in the mode and for the purposes above described and set forth.

2. The air-boxes L L', Figs. l, 2, and 3, in combination with the central and lateral camels, all constructed, arranged, and to operate in the mode and for the purposes above described and set forth.

3. The bridle H, Figs. l, 4, and 5, having its attached chain-stops Gl G, constructed,

arranged, and to operate ir the mode and for the purposes above described and set forth.

4. The bridle H, having its attached chainstops G" G, in combination with the central camel, all constructed, arranged, and to operate in the mode and for the purposes above described and set forth.

5. The bridle H, having its attached chainstops G G'", in combination with the airboxes L L', all constructed, arranged, and to operate in the mode and for the purposes above described and set forth.

OLIVER DROUILLARD.

Witnesses A. J. ITsELL, ALEX. W. BUEL. 

